The Goat Pen

crashcourse wrote:local newspapers invaluable

but I read it online

calendar/local sports/classifieds/local news all still readily available

and I find myself scanning the obits more and more

eCat wrote:why do people want to read the obits as they get older?

is it a "aha....I outlasted that motherfucker" kinda thing or "damn, I better get that lump checked"?

crashcourse wrote:Wow, eCat is an asshole

It’s not a frequent topic of discussion, but doctors die, too. And they don’t die like the rest of us. What’s unusual about them is not how much treatment they get compared to most Americans, but how little. For all the time they spend fending off the deaths of others, they tend to be fairly serene when faced with death themselves. They know exactly what is going to happen, they know the choices, and they generally have access to any sort of medical care they could want. But they go gently.

eCat wrote:fwiw, I've been loyally forking over my $3.50 a month for the local community paper for like 15 years now.

Its about 8 pages with Lowes, Meijers, Menards and Home Depot ads inserted in the middle

Front page is hard hitting community news - a new park, tearing down a building someone wanted to convert to a YMCA, Mayor got caught fucking a part time cop in his squad car in a parking lot (yes, that happened)
Page 2 is editorials and the "question" of the week which is usually some played out idea 3 weeks past interesting anyone - like next weeks will be "are you concerned about the Zika virus?" and the occasional resident profile (eagle scout, charity work, some guy wrote a book about a sawmill no one remembers or cares about)
Page 3 is local happenings like Flock of Seagulls giving a free concert at Miami Meadows park or the VFW all you can eat spaghetti dinner
Page 4 is arrests and a Kerry Dodge ad (my favorite part of the paper)." Hey, the neighbor kid got arrested for selling weed again!"

The second section is sports, school and "featured" columnists - First two pages are sports and honor roll
The last part is some old guy who has his weekly column about whatever random thing happens in his life. He calls himself the old fisherman , the article begins like "well the old fisherman had breakfast at Bob Evans on Tuesday and you'll never guess who I saw there. Tom Smith whose family lived here until 1974 and he worked one summer at the IGA as a grocery sacker.........
I swear, one time I was reading it and in the middle of the article he mentions his wife died that week. You'd think that would be his lead in but no. I can't remember what was more important - probably which tomatoes grow best in the shade

The last page is a guest columnist, usually some grade B politician promoting whatever horseshit they care about, and the competing Ford/Chevy ad to Kerry Dodge.

There might be a recipe for whatever seasonal thing is on sale at the local Kroger - like blackberry cobbler

That's been the formula to milk $42 a year from me since Bush was first elected.

hedge wrote:Man, that was as good a representation of small town life and its concomitant malaise and ennui as I've ever seen. The question of the week is a good idea. I'm sure there's no shortage of letters from the disgruntled who think somebody might care about their opinion, but having a question of the week would provide focus for their rancor. You better get on that, Stu...

Saint wrote:
You're a good man, eCat.